Another Graduation Party is in the books and this one was at Mac & Rays. The clan from Louisville came up to celebrate their twins graduating from High School, and they thought it was more beneficial for them to come up and have a party, rather than having the families all come down en masse. My Sister-in-Law is my Bride’s Sister and that side of the family is huge and I sometimes have to think twice about who someone is and their actual relation. My Brother-in-Law by marriage comes from a decent size family, but not of the magnitude of my Bride’s family. I think it was a good call on their part, and there was a great turnout. Mac & Rays is a bustling boating center, marina, condos, restaurants, bars and catering facility and halls in Harrison Township at MacRay Harbor on Anchor Bay. I would have to say that this is probably one of the safest locations in Michigan if not in the country, because when you are driving to the facility, you drive along a high wire fence topped with barbed wire. MacRay Harbor is along side one part of Selfridge Air National Guard Base and unless Canada declares war and invades Michigan, I would say this area is in great shape.

Mac & Rays has a beautiful facility overlooking the marina and all of the boats moored there. There were plenty of tables set up for all of the guests. The arrangement was very conducive for having a brunch as there were plenty of options to choose from, and there was also an omelet station as well, to make everyone happy. There was also a great sweet table arrangement set up, as I should know, because I couldn’t resist walking by and sampling the goods constantly and I am not even a pastry lover. While my Bride was being the event photographer, a self-assumed position that she has volunteered for every occasion, there was also in competition with her, a photo booth; which seems to be all the rage for the last ten years at least, as it is a form of instant gratification, kind of like the old Polaroid cameras in my youth. I really think that everyone was very happy with the entire party.

Not only were
the people well fed, they were quite happy with the beverage counter, or should
I say bar. I mean Mac & Ray caters
to the boating community and I may not know how that community is in other
parts of the country, but in the Detroit area, it is a fun-loving crowd. There was a full bar, but I may be slowing
down but liquor and beer are both too heavy for me in the morning, but I am
happy with Mimosas. While some may
denigrate Mimosas because the adulterate Orange Juice, I am very happy with them
in the morning, even over a Bloody Mary.
The sparkling wine that was being used was Veuve du Vernay Brut NV. Veuve du Vernay is a range of sparkling wines
owned by Patriarche, a Beaune based company that is owned by the conglomerate
Groupe Castel. The wines are actually
produced in Bordeaux. They produce six
different sparkling wines and all but one of the wines are produced using the
Charmat Method. The flagship wine of the
group, the Brut is made with Colombard, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. For the sake of this article, I tried some of
the wine prior to the addition of the Orange Juice and it was an easy drinking
bubbly with nothing to complain about; albeit that it is not at the top of the
heap, but most people like to be festive without breaking the bank. It was a delightful party.